Freedom threatened by President Bush

Published 1:00 am, Sunday, March 5, 2006

Are you familiar with the term extraordinary rendition? Does that seemingly arcane term stir up any memory? For most, probably not.

How about
Maher Arar
? Does that name mean anything to you? Probably not.

He might be a historical footnote in a future account of the tragedy known as the
George W. Bush
administration, but small, pitiful stories tend to be ephemeral.

Maher Arar is a Canadian software engineer who was born in Syria, and he is the hapless victim of extraordinary rendition. This is an American policy of sending terror suspects to other countries to be tortured on our behalf.

Arar, a father of two children, was arrested at
Kennedy Airport
by U.S. law enforcement agents and "rendered" to Syria for interrogation and torture.

This was done with no charge and no right to seek legal council. He was held by the Syrians for 10 months in a cold basement cell no larger than the size of a grave and he regularly suffered the hideous ordeal of torture.

He was released with no charge filed, no apology and no further punishment, except for the destruction of his family-oriented, productive, middle-class existence.

Is there no end to the decimation of basic freedoms in the name of security? Does anyone see how pernicious this is to not only the victims of this practice but also to those of us who stand by and allow it to occur?

If we continue down the xenophobic path, the terrorists will indeed have won, without firing another shot or exploding another bomb.

Eight decades ago, my parents courageously left their home in Syria to travel to this land of promise, fairness and opportunity.

I fervently hope that we can reignite that beacon of liberty that attracted them to our shores.